Steam-engine.



No. 679,950. Patented Aug. 6, l90l. H. F. CULVIN. STEAM ENGINE (Application Bled Dec. 3l, 1900.) l

(No Model.)

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No. 679,950. Patented Aug. 6, 190|.

H. F. CGLVIN. `sTEAl| ENGINE.

. (Application Bled Dec. 31, 1900.) (lo Halal.) 3 Sheets-Shut 2.

No. 679,950. Paumfml Aug. 6, |901. H. F. coLvm.

STEAM ENGINE.

(Application led Dec. 31, 1900.) (no Model.) y 3 sneatssheet a.

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yUNITED STATES PATENT 'I FFICE.

`HENRY F.v CVOLVIN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

4STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,950, dated August 6, 1901.

l 4Application filled December 311 1900i Serial No. 41,587. (No model.)

ToI aZZ whom t may concern:

Beit known that 1,' HENRY F. CoLvIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-En gines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a multiple-cylinder engine employing pistonvalves and wherein the valves do not have packing-rings which pass the port edges and the steam-chests do not have to be bushed or the ports bridged or gridironed to prevent the packing-rings dropping into them or catching upon their edges. I also connect the steam-chests of my engine for free exhaustpassage with telescoping sleeves so arranged as to'permit th'efree inspection of `the packing-rings employed by simply unbolting'the steam-chest covers. The valves are connected through and within the sleeves, and

`only one stuffing-box is necessary for the valvestem. There are also by-pass valves provided, which by their use enable the flow of live steam into all cylinders, and by the simple movement of connected arms and their further continuous movement the by-pass valves, which are of suficient capacity to permit free liuid flowing from end to' end of the cylinders to prevent creating a vacuum when the engine is running without steam,

thereby obviating the necessityof employ-` The low-pressure 'cylin-l ders are also provided with double ports at the steam-chest end, one beingfor inlet and 'I ing relief-valves.

one for outlet, and the 1steam-chests are secured to the cylinders on flat seats to facilicloses a solid-faced truncated valve formed ple-cylinder engines only.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section as to most of the parts., Fig. 2 is aside elevation with some parts broken to give exterior views of the piston-valves. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line o; Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a crosssection on line c e, Fig. 2. Fig.' 5 is an elevation of the low-pressure-valve compressionringin enlarged size. Fig. 6 is a top view of Fig. 3, showing the breaking of the joint. Fig. 7 is a section of the joint-spring on line o o, Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is in general a central Vertical section showing the position of the bypass valves when the engine is working coinpound. Fig. 9 is like Fig. 8, except with the by-pass valves placed as when using live steam in all cylinders and with head 37 detached and sleeve 29 telescoped into sleeve 30. Fig. 10 is like Fig. 8, except with the by-pass valves placed to open communication with the steam-ports of each cylinder to its exhaust-ports, as when running without steam or drifting. l

Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the views.

.A high-pressure cylinder 1 is placed in line with a low-pressure cylinder 2, a piston 3 is placed in cylinder 1, and a pistone is placed in cylinder 2, and they are connected for coaction by piston-rod 5, while piston-rod 6 is connected to a cross-head. The cylinders are joined by a connectingsleeve 7, attached to head 8 of cylinder 2, which enters and telescopes throughhead 9 of cylinder 1 and surrounds piston-rod 7, as more fully set forth inK my application filed December24, 1900, Serial No. L10,992. A

Mounted upon and secured to cylinder 1 is a steam-chest 10, covering ports 11 12of the cylinder, which connect with ports 13 111 of .the chest 10. An exhaust-recess 15 is formed around the inner face of the steam-chest.- The high-pressu-re-cylinder steam-chest in- 4flowing within and beyond in the trunk,

(Not shown.)

which moves within sleeve 25, formedou steam-chest head 26, and extends therefrom both within and withou t.' Web 19 has a similar trunk 27 extending therefrom, with a packing 28 near its outer end, and it moves within sleeve 29, formed on head 37, which extends farther outward than sleeve 25 and telescopes into sleeve 30 of head 50 of steamchest 31, mounted on and secured to4 lowpressure cylinder 2. At the junction of the telescoping sleeves is formed a flange 32 on sleeve 30, and an annular ring 33 is placed over sleeve 29, the ring having its lower corner 34 beveled to press against ring 35, of soft metal, (preferably of copper wire,) to make a non-leakable union when ring 35 is forced to ange 32 and sleeve 29 by bolts 36. The object of this union of the sleeves is to enable 4the examination of packings 28, as when steam-chest head 37, to which sleeve 29 is attached, is removed from steam-chest l0 (see Fig. 9) sleeve 29 can be vtelescoped into sleeve 30, andpacking 28 will be exposedand sufficient working space be obtained for its adjustment or renewal. The packing 23 isl also readily exposed for like purposes by removing steam chest head 26A and its attached sleeve 25. Steam -chest heads 26 37 have free fits within the steam-chest 10 to enable the piston-heads 16 17 to freely enter and center within circular valve-seat 38, for which purpose they are made for a close but freemoving fit, and packings 23 28 prevent the live steam from entering the exhaust-passage. Above valve-seat 38 a chamber 39 is formed across the steam-chest, and its inner end is open to and receives live steam from pipe 40., coming from saddle 41 of cylinder 2., connected to the boiler and controlled by the engines throttle-valve. Within chamber 39 is placed by-pass valve 42, having a seat 44 at its bottom and pierced by openings 45 to permit free circulation by and around the valve. The by-pass valve hasseats 46 47 at its ends, and a port 48 affords live-steam communication fromv the chamber 39'to the interior of steamchest 10 .through exhaust-space 21, the interior of trunk '27, and sleeves 29 30 to steamchest 31 of cylinder 2, and passages 49 50 open therefrom directly into the interior of steam-chest 10 and the spacesurrounding trunks 22 27 and sleeves 25 29. At the outer end of valve 42 it has a vertical tongue 51, inserted in a groove 52 of cone 53, connected to -shaft 54and operated by arm 55, which forms a yielding connection. (See Fig. 4.)

Steam-chest 31, mounted on and secured to cylinder 2, has a head 56, connected `to sleeve 3Q, and a head 57 at its inner end with a stuffing-box 58, through which valve-stein 59 passes. Cylinder 2 has steam-ports 60 6l and an exhaust-port 62, connected toexhaust-port 63 of the steam-chest, while ports 64 65 of the chest connect with ot' the cylinder and ports 66 67 of the chest connect with 61 of the cylinder, ports 64 66 being for exhaust andI A circular valve- 65 67 for steam admission.

seat 68 is formed within steam-chest 3l, and therein is placed a piston-valve comprising a central sleeve 69, fitting over valve-stem 59, heads 70 71, extending from sleeve 69, and therefrom and extending outwardly are flanges 72 73, and beyond their outer edges are followers 74 75, secured between a collar 76 and nut 77 and lock-nut 78 on stem 59, but withoutbearing against the ends of sleeve 69 or flanges 72 7 3. Heads 70 '7l are beveled at their inner edges, and the followers 74 75 are beveled at their outer edges, and within the inner edges of the heads 70 71 and followers 74 75 are seats 81,wherein are placed expansion-rings 82 83, which are'thicker at one side than at their opposite side, or their inner diameter is eccentric to their outer diameter, as see Fig-5, and at the thin part, placed when in operative position at the top 84, the rings are cut across V-shaped, and underneath and resting on flanges 72 73 are springs 85 86, curved at their ends, while the tops of the springs bear under rings 82 83, making a tight joint at the cut. Springs 85 86 have lips89 90, turned up at their sides for a part of their length, and Arecesses 91 92 are formed in the sides of rings 82 83 to receive the lips, thus holding the springs in place and breaking-the joint.' The rings 82 83 fit in valve-seats 68 and are there secu rely held or follower-bound bythe forcing of followers 74 75 to their edges by collar 76 and nut 77, locked by nut 78, and whenever rings 82 83 become Worn enough to leak or permit fluid flowing by them it is simply a matter to remove head 57 and loosen nuts 78 77 to have the rings 82 83 expand to close Contact with valve-seat 68, when they are again follower-bound to their working diameter, which is a free but unleakable fit in valve-seat 68,.

Above and across valve-seat 68 of steamchest 31 is a chamber 93, connected by passages 94 95 with the interior of the steamchest, and within the chamber is a by-pass valve 96, having a seat 98 at the bottom of the chamber and pierced with openings 99. A port 100 leads from the chamber 93 to exhaust-ports 63 62 of the steam-chest and cylinder 2. A cone 101 abuts the outer end of bypassy valve 96, and a vertical recess 102 of the cone receives a tongue 103of the by-pass valve 96, forming a yielding connection. (See Fig. 3.) A shaft 104 is formed on cone 101, and thereon is an arm 105,.secured to a rod 106, which runs forward and attaches to arm 55 of the by-pass valve for cylinder 1 and back for the attachment, by which the valves are worked. With by-pass valves 42 96 in the positions as seen in Fig. 8 ports 48 100 are covered and the engine is working compound 0r with live steam in cylinder 1 and exhauststeam from cylinder 1 in cylinder 2, at which time arms 55 and 105 are in the position shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 8. At lsuch time livevsteam will enter chamber 39'through pipe 40, pass through passages 49 IOO IIO

50, and enter steam-chest 10, surrounding,

trunks 22 27 and the Webs 1S 19 and flanges 16 17 of the valve construction. When port 11 or 12 is uncovered, steam will pass to cylinder 1, and when the reverse movement of the valve takes place the port 11 or 12'will be putin communication with exhaust-space 2l, thence enter trunk v27, sleeves 29 30, and steam-chest 3l. Passages 94 95 and chamber 93,With the openin gs 99 through by-pass valve 96,wi1l permit steam to flow to each end of the valve, where it will be admitted to ports 65 60 or to 67 61 to cylinder 2. The reverse movement of the valve will put ports 64 or 61 66 in communication withv exhaust-ports 62 63 and the atmosphere. When it is necessary to use live steam in all the cylinders, arms 55 105 will be moved back to vertical positions, lines z z as seen in Fig. 2, and in dotted lines in Fig. 9. This will uncover port 48 of steam-chest l0, allowing live steam to pass through and mingling with the exhaust from cylinder 1 go to chest 31of cylinder 2, as well as to cylinder 1, through passages 49 50, but will not open port 100 of cylinder 2. When the engine is running with the steam shut off or drifting, arms 55 105 will be moved to positions A in Fig. 2 and as seen in dotted lines in Fig. 10, which will still leave port 48 uncovered by the by-pass valve 42 of steamchest 10 and move by-pass valve 96 to open port 100 of steam-chest 31, and thus establish free communication of each end of cylinders 1 2 with their exhaust-ports and the atmosphere and prevent creating a partial vacuum Within the cylinders, as is the case with ordinary piston-valves when the engine is drifting or running Without steam.

I claim- 1. In an engine, multiple cylinders, pistons in the cylinders, a piston-rod to connect the pistons, a seat on each cylinder, a steam-chest secured on each seat, a circular valve-seat in each steam chest, telescoping sleeves connecting the steam-chests, piston-valves within the steam-chests, connected through the telescoping necks for coacting, and means to move the valves.

2. In an engine, multiple cylinders, pistons Within the cylinders, a common piston-rod for the cylinders, steam chests secured to the cylinders, circular valve-seats for the steamchests, piston-valves in the seats a common stem for the valves, and means to connect the steam-chests by telescopic construction around the valve-stem.

3. In an engine, multiple cylinders, high and low pressure, pistons and rods within the cylinders, a steam-chest mounted on the highpressure cylinder, a circular valve-seat within the steam-chest, a truncated piston-valve having solid and connected piston-heads, trunks reaching outward from the heads, sleeves wherein the trunks move and which are secured to the steam-chest heads, and packingbetween the trunks and sleeves.

4. In a compound engine, multiple cylinders, pistons and rods in the cylinders, steamchests for the cylinders, piston-valves in the steam-chests, a chamber above each steam= chest, aportfrom the chamber to the exhaustpassage of each chest, passage-Ways from the chambers to the steam-chests interior, bypass valves in the chambers, and'means to operatethe by-pass valves for the admission of live steam to the high-pressure cylinders only, as when running compound, or multiple expansion.

5. In a compound engine, multiple cylinders, pistons and rodsin the cylinders, steamchests for the cylinders, piston-valves in the steam-chests, a chamber above each steamchest, a port from the chamber to the exhaust-passage of each chest, passage-ways from the chambers to the steam-chests interior, by-pass valves in the chambers, and means to operate the by pass valves in manner to open the port to the steam-chest exhaust in the highpressure steam-chest only, and thereby admit high-pressure steam t0 all the cylinders.

6. In a compound engine, multiple lcylinders, pistons and rods inthe cylinders, steamchests for the cylinders, piston-valves in the steam-chests, a chamber above each steamchest, a port from the chamber to the exhaustpassage of each chest, passage-Ways o from the chambers to the steam-chests interior, by-pass. valves in the chambers, and means t0 operate them and open the ports from the chambers to their steam-chests.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. HENRY F. COLVIN.

Witnesses:

COLUMBUS W.. GABELL, Jr., R. C. WRIGHT.

IOO 

